On The Up: The Highs and Hardships of Emerging Writers'

Ahead of this year’s Emerging Writers' Festival, we talk shop, success and star shows with some of those involved in this year’s event.

Photography: Mark Gambino

1/8

Photography: Mark Gambino

1/8

Photography: Mark Gambino

1/8

Published on 21 May 2014

by Max Rann

There are few people better equipped to talk about the challenges of being an emerging writer than Sam Twyford-Moore, who directs the festival devoted to them. With the Emerging Writers Festival coming up fast, we spoke with Twyford-Moore and three of this year’s featured writers about making writing work, and how events such as EWF can help this to happen. Plus, they’ve thrown in their tips from the festival's jam-packed program.

Sam Twyford-Moore
(Director, Emerging Writers' Festival)For writers, Moore says questions such as, “Where do I fit?” and “Is there even any room for me?” don’t go away, even with time. Ten years into his career, he's still asking himself these things.

“There will be friends who can help you think about these questions in a critical and creative way,” he says, before explaining that a big part of the festival is about creating a space for this, and for writers to “ask these questions together, in a really honest and meaningful way.”

While stressing that her success is very much her own, Moore is proud that the festival played a part in Maxine Beneba Clarke’s career. Clarke, who won last year's Premier's Literary Award, met her publisher, Rob Watkins, after he saw her perform a reading at the festival. Soon after which, Moore says, they were, signing a three-book deal together.

BRODIE LANCASTER
(Editor of Filmme Fatales, editor and copywriter at The Good Copy, staff writer at Rookie)
One of the hardest things about becoming a writer, Lancaster has found, has been actually calling herself a writer. “There's always a bit of imposter syndrome trickling in.”

She's is excited about:

Live in the Studio: Exploring the ABCA panel of commentators, including Broadsheet contributors Max Olijnyk and Toby Fehily, along with Penny Modra, discuss the history of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, from its humble beginnings to its contemporary programming.

SAM COONEY
(Publisher and editor-in-chief at The Lifted Brow, freelance writer, teacher (writing) at Melbourne University and Victoria University, member of the advisory committee for the Emerging Writers' Festival)Cooney says, for him, “Reconciling my ambition with my actual abilities has always been frustrating, and sometimes disheartening – it's a crevasse that can feel impossible to bridge.” He agrees with Lancaster and Twyford-Moore that a huge part of the festival is its creation of a place where writers can gain a sense of mutual affirmation.

Sweatshop’s #Three Jerks“Sweatshop collective features a performance from three of my favourite writers/thinkers/shit-stirrers. Actually #Three Jerks will be by far the best event at the festival. Damn.”
The Wheeler Centre
May 30 at 7pm
$15 per person, $12 concessions
Recommended for 18+
emergingwritersfestival.org.au/three-jerks

ZOE NORTON LODGE
(Writer/presenter on The Checkout (ABC1), currently writing a book and co-creator of Story Club (ABC2))With thoughts similar to those of her peers, Lodge says, “The hardest thing about being an emerging writer is mapping out a career path. Events like EWF are a great way of finding out how other people have managed to make it work.”